Regarding a stretcher placed on the cargo bed of an ambulance or the like and a litter placed on the stretcher, there has been reported a stretcher which can be placed on a cargo bed of an ambulance or the like and fixed easily, and the height of which can be adjusted easily so as to match the position of an acute patient at a first-aid rescue site. Further, on the shape etc. of the litter placed on the stretcher for carrying the acute patient, many improvements have been proposed.
Patent Document 1 has disclosed a stretcher characterized in that a constant load spring is used for a slide mechanism for changing the position of the upper frame of stretcher vertically; a mechanical lock mechanism is provided to stop the upper frame of stretcher at an arbitrary position; and further there are provided a lock mechanism for fixing the slide of a front leg aiding frame for aiding the front leg of stretcher, and a roller for smoothening the slide between support parts of a front leg, a front leg aiding frame, and a rear leg aiding frame for aiding a rear leg and a center rail, and a litter placed on the stretcher.
Patent Document 2 has disclosed a knee drawing-up type stretcher in which a bending angle adjusting means of an upper leg support part and a lower leg support part is configured at a low cost; adjustment can be made while saving the labor and time; the position of a leg fixing element fitted in the leg part of the knee drawing-up type stretcher can be adjusted easily and rapidly; and the raising/falling operation of a protecting frame installed on both right and left sides of the knee drawing-up type stretcher can be performed easily and rapidly.
Patent Document 3 has disclosed “an ambulance bed fixing device comprising a hollow bar fixed along the inner wall of an ambulance body; a fixing hook provided in one end part of the hollow bar to hook one leg part of bed; a positioning piece provided in the other end part of the hollow bar to make contact with the other leg part of bed; a movable hook holding the leg part between the positioning piece and the movable hook; and an operating rod for the movable hook, provided projectingly at the other end of the hollow bar, the operating rod comprising a pipe part mounted slidably in the outer peripheral part of the hollow bar to always urge the movable hook toward the positioning piece side in cooperation with the movable hook; a control lever provided integrally at the end of the pipe part to turnably lock the pipe part at the separation position of the movable hook with respect to the positioning piece; and an unlocking actuator for unlocking the pipe part by reversing it by contacting with the bed” described in claim.
Patent Document 4 has disclosed “a vehicle with a fixture, characterized by having a holder for fixing a stretcher provided on a floor panel; a second holder arranged on the floor panel to fix an incubator; and a holding means that turnably supports the second holder, and turns the second holder to retract it from an indoor occupation region that the stretcher occupies when the stretcher is fixed by the first holder” in claim 1. The fixture of stretcher in Patent Document 1 fixes the stretcher together with the second holder urging the first holder at the front and a spring at the rear.
Patent Document 5 is a patent document relating to a stretcher fixture that fixedly places a stretcher in a first-aid vehicle, and has disclosed a stretcher fixture capable of alleviating the worker's burden and preventing noise through an increase in an urging force of an urging means by using a configuration in which an operating force need not be applied continuously to an operating grip. The construction is disclosed as “the stretcher fixture in accordance with the present invention includes a body pipe fixed in a substantially horizontal state in the vehicle; a front locking claw fixed in the front part of the body pipe to lock one leg pipe at the front or rear of the stretcher; a positioning piece fixed in the rear part of the body pipe to determine the locking position of the other leg pipe at the front or rear of the stretcher; an operating grip arranged on the rear end side of the body pipe, in which the operation force to the front is applied from the outside; an operating rod the rear end of which is connected to the operating grip and which is provided on the inside of the body pipe so as to be capable of advancing and retreating; an urging means arranged in the body pipe to always apply an urging force to the rear with respect to the operating rod; and a rear-side locking claw that is connected to the operating rod, advances and retreats according to the movement of the operating rod, and, at the time of retreat, pushes the other leg pipe on the positioning piece by means of the urging force of the urging means to lock the other leg pipe by pushing the other leg pipe on the positioning piece, and is characterized in that a stopper is provided between the positioning piece and the rear-side locking claw; when the operation force to the front is applied to the operating grip from the outside, the stopper projects to the outside in the radial direction of the body pipe to allow the rear-side locking claw to be locked; and when the rear-side locking claw is in a locked state, if being pressed by the other leg pipe, the stopper retracts to the inside in the radial direction of the body pipe to allow the rear-side locking claw to retreat” from the second line of paragraph [0007]
Patent Document 1: WO2004/078087
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication No. 06-75466
Patent Document 3: Japanese Examined Utility Model Application Publication No. 02-33773
Patent Document 4: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 09-327481
Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-217864
Although the stretcher and the litter placed on the stretcher have been improved variously, a satisfactory stretcher and a satisfactory litter have not yet been realized. It is desired to realize a litter capable of being placed on a stretcher quickly, capable of being fixed to the stretcher reliably, and capable of being placed on a stretcher on which a patient is examined at the time of first aid or is put on a drip.
Also, in order to place the stretcher on the cargo bed of an ambulance or the like and to carry it, it is necessary to firmly fix the stretcher to the cargo bed of the ambulance or the like so that the stretcher does not move even during the time when the ambulance or the like runs. However, when the stretcher is fixed to the cargo bed of the ambulance or the like, not only the stretcher must be fixed firmly so that the stretcher does not move even during the time when the ambulance or the like runs, but also the stretcher must be taken out of the cargo bed of the ambulance or the like quickly to receive a patient quickly when the ambulance or the like arrives at the first aid rescue site. In order to receive the patient and to place and fix the stretcher to the cargo bed of the ambulance or the like quickly, it is necessary that the stretcher be attached and detached easily and can be fixed firmly. Therefore, it is desired to realize a litter capable of receiving a patient safely and quickly and a fixture etc. for easily fixing the stretcher on which the litter is placed to the cargo bed of the ambulance or the like.
In the present invention, an ambulance or the like means an automobile provided with equipment (referred to as “a stretcher”) having a structure for carrying a patient etc. when the patient etc. enter or leave a medical institution, go to a hospital regularly, transfer to another hospital, or are picked up and dropped off at a social welfare facility etc. (hereinafter referred to as “a patient carrying automobile”).